Monday, June 19, 2006

This is a first in an occasional series (ie when readers send us tips) showing The Buckstache throughout history.

By now, if you're a regular reader of the MZone, you know about The Buckstache, our new name for the mustache due to its popularity among Tosu folks, especially those with legal woes. But while the popular Columbus style has been co-opted by folks who've run afoul of the law, it hasn't always been that way. This is the story of such a man.

One of the earliest proponents of The Buckstache was a rap sheet-less football player so good, he got his picture on a Wheaties box - in high school! However, with his choice of any college in the country this mustache-loving linebacker chose Tosu and coach Earl Bruce where he was a three time All-Big Ten selection as well as a two-time All-American. The man behind the 'stache was Buckeye great Chris Spielman.

Now, while we usually bash Buckeyes mercilessly here on the MZone, we have a hard time doing it with Chris Spielman. First of all, he was drafted by the hometown Lions and was a four-time Pro Bowler for the Honolulu Blue and Silver. But most importantly, Spielman seems to be a heck of a person. When his wife was stricken with cancer in 1999, Spielman took a year off to be with her and even shaved his head to match her hair loss due to chemotherapy. Afterwards, he and his wife used his celebrity to raise millions for breast cancer research.

If only more Buckeyes like Spielman had kept their Buckstaches instead of allowing the Tosu grooming statement to be hijacked by less desirable Tosu folks. Then again, what the hell would we write about in June if that were the case?

I'm in agreement that Chris Spielman--in spite of the high school molester mustache and what appears to be a Camaro-Mullet—is probably the coolest Buckeye ever. I also appreciate his passion for football and honesty as a broadcaster. It’s like watching a game with a fired up friend who’s had a little too much to drink.

My favorite Spielman moment—up until he took a year off football to care for his wife—was when he was asked how he felt about wearing “throwback” uniforms for games and he replied that he didn’t care if he wore pink polka dots as long as he got to play football.

I look forward to future installments in which we learn when and how the Buckstache transformed from a benign Ohio ornamentation (Griffin, Cornelius Greeene, Spielman) into an instrument of evil. I'm guessing that John Cooper was heavily involved.

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